Abstract: The invention herein relates to a curable composition, such as UV or EB curable composition, comprising: a metal salt comprising an anionic form of an organic compound, which organic compound comprises at least one polymerisable unsaturated group and an acidic hydrogen; and water. The curable composition is suitable for priming, printing on, or varnishing a substrate, as well as to methods of preparing said compositions, methods for priming, printing on, or varnishing a substrate, and printing presses utilising said compositions.

Abstract: The invention describes new designs of commercial inkjet or flexographic web and sheet fed presses with pre-coating prior to printing which may upgrade the quality of the substrates and render them printable by all printing technologies including inkjet and digital. Also described are curable water-based coatings, inkjet and flexographic inks and overprint varnishes which may be radiation cured at high speed without the need for external applied heat to remove water. When used as coatings or primers, the compositions of the invention may create a surface on cellulosic substrates, polymeric films and some metal surfaces which are suitable for printing on by most printing methods including but not limited to inkjet, wet and dry toner systems, lithographic, gravure, flexographic and 4-D printing. The primer/coatings may also add up to 35% tensile strength to lightweight “thin” papers.